Poinsettia plant named ‘Winterfest Red’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Winterfest Red’, characterized by its uniform plant growth habit; dark green-colored leaves with red-colored petioles; mid-season flowering habit; inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Euphorbia pulcherrimaWilld. cultivar Winterfest Red.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Winterfest Red’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Lompoc, Calif. The objective of the breeding programis to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habit andattractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia is a induced mutation of the Euphorbia pulcherrimaWilld. cultivar Festival Red, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,253.The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle plant within a population of irradiated plants of the cultivarFestival Red in a controlled environment in Lompoc, Calif. The selectionof this plant was based on its attractive flower bract coloration anduniform plant habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminalcuttings taken at Lompoc, Calif., has shown that the unique features ofthis new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Winterfest Red’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Winterfest Red’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Uniform plant growth habit.

2. Dark green-colored leaves with reddish-colored petioles.

3. Mid-season flowering habit.

4. Inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts.

5. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ from plants of the parent cultivar,Festival Red, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are taller than plants of the cultivarFestival Red.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flower about 7 to 10 days later thanplants of the cultivar Festival Red.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia have narrower flower bracts than plantsof the cultivar Festival Red.

4. Plants of the new Poinsettia have more cyathium per corymb thanplants of the cultivar Festival Red.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Lompoc, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed fromplants of the cultivar 490 in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were taller and not as outwardlyspreading as plants of the cultivar 490.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about 7 to 10 days later thanplants of the cultivar 490 under controlled photoperiod conditions.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had narrower flower bracts than plantsof the cultivar 490.

4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had more cyathia per corymb than plantsof the cultivar 490.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a top perspective view of asingle flowering plant of ‘Winterfest Red’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph and, following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Lompoc, Calif. during the fall andwinter under commercial practice in a fiberglass-covered greenhouse withnight temperatures about 16° C. and light levels about 3,000 to 4,000foot-candles. Single plants were grown in 15-cm pots, pinched once, andflowered under controlled short day/long night conditions. Plants wereabout 17 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and thedetailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarWinterfest Red.

Parentage: Induced mutation of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarFestival Red, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,253.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.

Time to produce rooted young plants.—Summer: About 14 days at 21° C.Winter: About 8 days at 21° C.

Root description.—Thick, fibrous and freely-branching.

Plant description:

Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit; inverted triangle;vigorous.

Plant height.—About 30 to 33 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 to 45 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Plants pinched to five or sixleaves develop one lateral branch per node. Strength: Strong. Color:Close to 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length: About 11 to12 cm. Width: About 8 to 9 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base:Acute to obtuse. Margin: Entire with irregular lobing. Venation pattern:Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Surface: Rugose.Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 147A. Young foliage, lower surface:147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 139A. Fully expandedfoliage, lower surface: 137A. Petioles: Length: About 6 to 7 cm.Texture: Glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 183B.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flowerinitiation and development is induced under short day/long nightconditions. Mid-season flowering; response time, about 8.5 weeks, undercontrolled photoperiod conditions.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain goodsubstance and bract color for about six to eight weeks under interiorconditions.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, about five or sixper plant.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 25 to 30 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts: About 20 to 25 perinflorescence. Length, largest bracts: About 13 to 14 cm. Width, largestbracts: About 8 to 9 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Obtuse.Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Surface:Rugose. Orientation: Mostly horizontal. Color: Developing bracts, upperand lower surfaces: 45A. Fully developed bracts, upper surface: 45B.Fully developed bracts, lower surface: 45C.

Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia: About 15 to 20 per corymb. Diameter ofcyathia cluster: About 4 to 4.5 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 144A. Stamens:Quantity of stamens: At least 10 per cyathium. Anther shape: Oblong.Anther color: 60A. Filament color: 60A. Pollen color: Close to 14A.Pistils: Quantity of pistils: One per cyathium. Style color: 144Aoverlain with 60A. Stigma color: 60A. Ovaries: Quantity of ovaries:Three per cyathium. Color: 144A. Nectaries: Quantity of nectaries: Oneper cyathium. Color: Close to 12A.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been observed tobe resistant to Botrytis.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘Winterfest Red’, as illustrated and described.